Will You Be Able To See Halley's Comet Meteor Showers In CNY?

Will you see Halley's Comet this week? Or, will you see a meteor shower here in Central New York? Honestly, the answer is semi both. Don't get too excited though.

Did you know that Halley's Comet brings meteor showers back to Earth, even when the comet isn't visible on our planet? The meteor show caused by Halley's Comet will be at full peak Tuesday, May 5th. However, we will have trouble viewing.

A "nearly" full moon will make it difficult to see. Plus, when you add a "supermoon" on Thursday, May 7th during the showers, it seems like all hope may be lost.

CNY Central reports that if you want to see the shower, you'll need to be up early later this week:

But star admirers may have another shot to see the shower just before dawn on Sunday, May 10th. However, if you miss this year's meteor showers from Halley's Comet, the earth crosses the comet's orbit path every spring."

Just a reminder, the actual Halley's Comet itself, cannot be seen again before 2061. The last time it was seen was 1986.

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Have you ever stopped to think how Halley's Comet is still around? NASA reports that with each orbit around the Sun, Halley loses an estimated 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 meters) of material from the surface of its nucleus. How many more years will we be able to enjoy this?

Scientists calculate that an average periodic comet lives to complete about 1,000 trips around the Sun. Halley has been in its present orbit for at least 16,000 years, but it has shown no obvious signs of aging in its recorded appearances.